Mailbox makeover {Improving Curb Appeal}

 

 

mailbox makeover

We moved into our house almost two years ago, and we inherited this sad, sad little mailbox when we did.

mailbox makeover

The red flag was broken and the numbers were barely hanging on.  And the mailbox was connected to the wood post with one little screw so it would flip sideways when the wind was blowing real hard.  Smile

mailbox makeover

About 6 months after we moved into our home, our sweet little neighbor girl down the street, Ana, asked me, “Are you gonna get a new mailbox?”

I had to laugh.  Even a child knew it was time for a mailbox makeover.

Well Ana, it’s a year later, but we are gonna finally get a new mailbox!

Yay!!

Here is what we bought to give our mailbox a makeover!
Eye Level Gray Cast Stone Mailbox Post

Eye Level Gray Cast Stone Mailbox Post

 

It was so easy to install and took us less than a few hours.

Here’s what we did:

We dug a new hole in the ground 18 inches deep and inserted a 4×4 post in the hole.

 

 

mailbox makeover

 

Next, we filled the hole with QuickCrete from Lowe’s.

 

mailbox makeover

 

All we had to do was pour water on top of the Quickcrete and let it sit for about an hour to harden.

 

mailbox makeover

 

But be sure to check and make sure it is level before you let it harden.

mailbox makeover

 

Take a break and go eat some chocolate or get a coke from McDonald’s while the Quickcrete is setting.

Then come back and slide the cast stone post over top of the 4×4 wood post.

 

mailbox makeover

 

The front of the cast stone post will lay flat against the front of the 4×4 post.  This way, when you screw in the mailbox holder and mailbox to the front of the cast stone post, it will join the two together making the post sturdy.  Clear as mud?  Smile

 

 

mailbox makeover

 

And oh yeah, BE SURE TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE IT IS LEVEL.

mailbox makeover

 

 

Then add the cap stone on top.  We applied an epoxy underneath to keep it on.

mailbox makeover

 

 

Drill holes in the cast stone post where you would like your mailbox holder to go. Then screw the mailbox holder to the post using the screws provided in the box.

I wanted a mailbox with a red flag, like this one:

 

Once it was dry, we screwed the mailbox to the mailbox holder.

mailbox makeover

 

Instead of putting the numbers on the mailbox, I decided to use this reflector number sign.

mailbox makeover

 

I love it, and you will be able to see our house numbers when your car lights hit it at night.

mailbox makeover

 

Look, no more broken red flag!  I might actually enjoy mailing my bill payments now that I get to raise that cute little red flag when I do.  Okay, who am I kidding? That’s not gonna happen.

mailbox makeover

But I can still enjoy it when I send out birthday cards!

I added some mulch around the base and planted some pretty red dahlia flowers from Lowe’s.

 

mailbox makeover

 

I am so excited about this makeover!  It’s been a long time coming, and it makes me smile just looking at it.

 

mailbox makeover

 

So what do you think, Ana?  Did we do good?

 

 

 

 

86 Comments

  1. Love it! Great job and yall make it look so easy. When you paint your brick white on the house you might think about painting the brick on the post too, only if you wanted it to match. It’s really nice the color it is now. Just seeing the brick on it reminded me of the posts of white brick houses you have posted in the past.

    The snowplow man took our our mailbox, so we will be re-doing ours very soon. Thanks for the inspiration and the pics!

  2. You definitely “did good”! I can’t believe it’s a kit. My dad has moved the redwood mailbox he built to every house we lived in. It was built to match their original house in California and it’s really amazing how much it adds everywhere it goes. Plus, it’s just a bit of our family history. When we lived in Belgium, our neighbors thought we were nuts, but still really liked it. We had to get a variance to put it up!

  3. This is beautiful but than I wouldn’t think you would do anything else. When we had snow, someone hit our mail box and we will have to do something soon. Could you tell me how much this kit cost because I really love the looks. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Shirley,
      The kit was $179, but that doesn’t include the black mailbox. The one we bought was $25, but you could get one cheaper. So the whole thing was about $200, minus the concrete and wood post.

      Hope that helps! :)

      Traci

      1. Fantastic idea, and looks great. I’ve been wanting to do something simply yet attractive for my mailbox. I just saw your post today, and noticed it”s a few years old. I went to Lowes online and couldn”t find the cast stone mailbox kit. I suppose they don’t sell it anymore. If there’s anyone that knows where i can get it, please let me know? Thank youu

        David

        1. Hi David!
          It may be discontinued, but they may have something similar. If you google faux stone mailbox, something may come up? Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
          Traci

  4. I am so amazed at all the projects you have gotten done!! This one looks custom and came in a kit. Who would guess?!! What an impact to your property entrance. I’m laughing at that neighbor girl’s comment!!! Hey she won’t even recognize your box!!!

  5. I love this kit and will be looking to buy something similar. Our mailbox is grouped with others in one stop. However, I have a post that was originally put up and told from out mail delivery person that we must put our mailbox with the others. So I hooked a flower box to it and it’s looking pretty shabby. I may do a facelift to it and use the kit with a flower box attached instead of a mailbox. Thank you so much for sharing. It looks beautiful!

  6. I’m jealous! I live on a dirt road and the Post Office says it’s too rough for them so no mailboxes for anyone on my street. And it isn’t even rough! We have it smoothed every couple of years – plus it’s AZ! So, no mud. We have to go to the Post Office for our mail. Ugh!
    Love your mailbox though! – maybe one day :)

  7. Living on a rural mail route, getting the mail from the box is one of my favorite times of day! We share a post with a couple neighbors but your project makes me think a makeover is in the near future…

  8. Oh man my mailbox is just as bad as your “before” picture, minus the broken flag. I’m heading to lowes.com to check out that kit!!

    Thank you. :)

    Anna
    askannamoseley.com

  9. I am liking your new mailbox, thought it was going to be a stone tutorial! But even more, I am loving that view I see with all the trees and no houses across the street.

  10. I love your new mailbox its very cool. But I’ve always wondered this about the US and the flags on your mailboxes (I’m Australian) does the mail man pick up outgoing mail from your letterbox as well as drop off incoming mail?

    1. In the states, the mailman does indeed take your outgoing mail with him. That being said, it isn’t very safe to pay your bills with checks in the mail that way. There has been rampant theft of outgoing bills and check “laundering.” The ink is washed off everywhere except the signature, and the check is rewritten to “cash” and then cashed at currency exchanges. My brother in law is a postmaster and says it happens all of the time. I even mailed out invitations to a birthday party once to see a few washed up in the pond across the street from my house. I no longer mail anything from my box and take to to a regular postal box.

      1. I found out about 8 years ago that
        a mail carrier is not obligated to
        pick up mail out of a box…it’s
        up to his or her discretion. They
        are only obligated to deliver. Since
        so many transactions are done by
        internet anyway,the days
        of mail carriers picking up outgoing
        mail may be a thing of the past
        eventually.

  11. Love it! It’s so nice and I would never have guessed it came in a simple kit like that. In my neighborhood, they use those big community mailboxes, so I’ll just have to be jealous of your cute little mailbox! :)

  12. I really love it! I wish I had an actual mailbox..we have a community mailbox of about a billion boxes in one big ugly silver box. :(

  13. Oh my gosh!!! This is the most beautiful mailbox I’ve ever seen. I was even more excited when I saw your husband putting the stone cover on “in one piece.” It’s probably more than husband will want to spend on a new mailbox (I checked Lowe’s website) but I think I’ll start saving for it. I love it!!!!

    1. Thanks, Bertie!
      I ordered it online, so I was hoping it looked as pretty in person, and I have to say it does! I just love how easy it was. It was a lot easier than building our own brick mailbox, and honestly, I think it has more “charm.”

      Thanks for stopping by!
      Traci

  14. I love it! As soon as I finish typing this, I’m going to Lowes.com to see if they have them in my area! I had to smile when I noticed “your” projects also require a hubby to, assist! Mine loves when I tell him I have a great idea! Anyway, great job! What a difference!

  15. What a difference! This looks awesome and I love the color of the stone! I wish we had a mailbox. We have those ugly shared mail box things.

    Lura
    x

  16. Oh I LOVE this idea! I’ve been dying to re-do my mailbox and this is just TOO GOOD. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

    Met you at SNAP and totally stalked you in every way possible – can’t wait to get to know you better! Hope you’ll follow me back –
    Kaylynn
    AmongTheYoung.com

  17. I love your mailbox make over. I am planning to buy the same stone post kit from Lowes. I just love the sign you added to it with the house numbers. Did you get that at Lowes too?

  18. Looks great! I ordered mine from Home Depot . Then I purchased the post. Husband will install this wknd. I can hardly wait!!

  19. Awesome job! We have a mailbox just like your old one. Would love the numbers, but our Post Office requires they be on the box. Still, I think I am going to ask them about the ones you have if we put them on both sides!

  20. I also got this mailbox, it gets lots of compliments. Now I want to paint the brick on the lower half of my house the same colors. I matched three of the colors and got brick paint from Home Depot, I painted some loose bricks in the back yard as a test. But, it doesn’t look the same. I think I need to dilute the paint. Do you have any ideas?
    thanks,
    John

  21. Question:
    You put this up a year ago and I am wondering how it is holding up? Are you still happy with the way it is wearing?
    Thank you for taking the time to answer.
    Cindy

  22. Looks great did you use wood screws, and what size screws to adhere address in stone and reach wood post? Or did you use self tappers?

  23. Thanks for the idea and instructions. I want to do this project so I went to Lowes but I’m hesitant after reading the one customer review on their website. It says the post was damaged after the first snow storm due to a snow plow truck just throwing snow up on it. I was wondering how yours was holding up.

  24. Such a great idea to make a rusty old mailbox into a fresh new looking mail box. Although i think that if you could find an old school kind of box would of looked better with the stones.

  25. Hi there!

    Just found your page today and went to Lowes and sure enough bought the same kit!!

    I have just a couple questions if you don’t mind. So the ONLY thing that is holding this to the post is the 4 top screws and the single bottom screw on the mailbox arm to the wood post in the center? I just want to make sure that I don’t have to drill any more holes in the unit to attach to the post?

    Another question I have is what size masonry bit should be used? It doesn’t specifically say in the directions and I am perplexed why the directions don’t recommend a size.. or did you just use a normal drill bit?

    I just started walking around the neighborhood and saw someone else has this however, they have a matching white base that matches the top cap. I have yet to see this anywhere or online?

    Looking forward to hearing from you!
    Thanks,
    -Nigel

  26. Hi there! I love the this idea, but I have looked at Lowes and Home Depot and can’t find the grey cast stone mailbox post you used or anything similar. I’ve been trying to find it for a month now, and am still having no luck. Any advice? Thanks!

    Kate Childers

  27. Hi! I just ordered this at Lowes (pick up in a few days). It is 4 years later. How has it held up?? Thanks, Cindy

    1. It has held up perfectly except I ran into it with my car. :\ Ha! :). But if I hadn’t done that, it would be as good as new! And I would buy one again in a heartbeat.

    1. Hi there! It is definitely weatherproof because we have had ours for years, and it has held up well, but we don’t get snow like y’all do in Michigan. :). I “think” it would hold up, but I don’t know for sure.

  28. Love this idea, thank you so much for sharing! Just received our mailbox column cover from fauxcolumns, but now looking to get the other accessories. Wondering where you ended up finding the white post cap that fit the column cover so well, and also the white arm/holder that the mailbox sits on?

  29. We are looking to update out mailbox and this looks great. one concern is how does it withstand the weather, is the Stone color fading?

  30. Love this! It looks like something you would spend a fortune on, but it doesn’t break the bank! Mailboxes can really be an eye catcher when done right.

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